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  Method and equipment for producing glucose from a starch solutionRelated Patent Categories: Chemistry: Molecular Biology And Microbiology, Micro-organism, Tissue Cell Culture Or Enzyme Using Process To Synthesize A Desired Chemical Compound Or Composition, Preparing Compound Containing Saccharide Radical, MonosaccharideThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060160190. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The invention relates to a method and to equipment for producing or obtaining glucose from a starch solution. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] The conversion of starch from a starch solution into glucose or various sugars is an important sector of the starch processing industry and at the same time one of the economically most significant fields of application in food technology. The most important vegetable suppliers of starch for this purpose are maize, potatoes and wheat. [0005] The process of obtaining glucose or dextrose proceeds in various stages. In a first stage a defined starch suspension is generally produced from a previously produced aqueous starch solution and additional water. The starch suspension is liquefied by the addition of water vapour, enzymes and/or acid. A mixture of maltoses (barley sugar) and dextrines (an intermediate form of starch and dextrose) is produced therefrom by means of acid or enzymatic hydrolysis. The starch solution is saccharified by adding additional enzymes and/or acids. During starch saccharification the resultant decomposition products are decomposed further to form simple sugars (monosaccharides). A saccharified crude syrup which is a mixture of glucose (grape sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar) forms. However, the crude syrup also contains important protein and fat contents and substantially unsaccharified constituents which have to be filtered out to produce a finished dextrose product from the saccharified crude syrup. [0006] Filtration is carried out in multi-stage ultrafiltration units or vacuum rotary filters with translucent silica glass (Kieselguhr) as the filtering medium and the undesired by-products, such as fat and protein, are thus separated. [0007] Process steps on an ion exchanger, final cleaning and concentration then follow until finally the desired glucose or dextrose products can be produced in the end state by mixing various qualities of dextrose. [0008] In the above process sequence problems occur in particular during said filtration of the saccharified crude syrup, which problems are reflected in a rapid drop in the power of the filters used, a short service life of these filters, instable process management and high cleaning expenditure and high consumption of filtering auxiliaries. [0009] In the process of obtaining glucose or dextrose it should also be noted that sugar losses are to be avoided as far as possible, and therefore the undesirable by-products, such as fats and protein, have to be removed as far as possible without a simultaneous discharge of sugar. Very high demands are therefore made on the multi-stage ultrafiltration units and vacuum rotary filters used. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] The invention is based on the object of providing a method and equipment for producing glucose from a starch solution which, in contrast to known procedures, can be conducted more economically and, if possible, can simultaneously lead to a higher yield of glucose or dextrose during the course of the process. [0011] This object is achieved according to the invention with a method for producing glucose from a starch solution, comprising the steps: saccharification of the starch solution by adding enzymes and/or acid to saccharified starch solution or crude syrup, separation of a phase substantially comprising proteins and/or fats from the crude syrup in a centrifugal separating device and separation of the phase substantially comprising proteins and/or fats from the centrifugal separating device separately from the residual crude syrup. [0012] Using the method according to the invention the undesired by-products, such as fat and protein, are separated from the saccharified starch solution not by a filtration process but by centrifugal separation. According to the invention the method is therefore not geared to the volume or the dimensions of the particles of the crude syrup to be separated, rather the particles are separated as a function of their specific weight. [0013] This type of separation according to the invention leads to the crude syrup being divided substantially into three phases, namely a phase comprising substantially proteins and/or fats, a phase comprising substantially unsaccharified constituents and a third phase of the residual glucose syrup, which substantially comprises glucose. Of these phases, in particular the phase comprising substantially proteins and/or fats can be efficiently separated from the residual glucose syrup by centrifugal separation, as has been found according to the invention. [0014] It has also been recognised according to the invention that it is precisely the phase comprising substantially proteins and/or fats that is extensively responsible for the fact that problems with respect to a drop in power, the service life, process management and cleaning expenditure repeatedly occur with the filtration units connected downstream. By contrast, problems of this type may be avoided as a result of separation according to the invention and separation of the phase comprising substantially proteins and/or fats from a saccharified starch solution. [0015] Furthermore, sugar losses in the course of the process of obtaining glucose or dextrose can be considerably reduced with the method according to the invention. In tests the sugar losses could be reduced by 50% to 80% compared with known methods. This considerable reduction in losses is based on the fact that, according to the invention, the undesired by-products are purposefully concentrated in a single phase, which by-products can then be removed relatively easily. The residual glucose syrup subsequently has a much higher volume concentration factor, so accordingly considerably more glucose or dextrose can also be obtained from this glucose syrup. [0016] In a method for producing glucose from starch solution the above mentioned unsaccharified constituents of the crude syrup are basically harmless with respect to the further process steps. In an advantageous development of the method according to the invention they are separated nevertheless and separated from the residual glucose syrup then substantially comprising glucose. The total power requirement of subsequent process steps can thus be reduced and the unsaccharified constituents can be returned to the process, optionally in a targeted manner in advance process steps. [0017] Said centrifugal separation processes according to the invention are carried out particularly advantageously in a single centrifugal separating device, in particular in the form of a single decanter. A procedure of this type is particularly favourable with respect to both the required production costs and operating costs. Furthermore, a method of this type leads to particularly low operating and maintenance expenditure. [0018] The saccharified crude syrup treated with the method according to the invention is prepared in such a way that it can be cleaned particularly advantageously in a filtration stage downstream of the centrifugal separating device. As mentioned above, during filtration, according to the invention considerably lower sugar losses occur compared to known methods as the residual glucose syrup to be filtered has a much higher volume concentration factor (what is referred to as VCF). [0019] In addition to the method according to the invention, the object underlying the invention is also achieved with equipment for producing glucose from a starch solution, the equipment being provided with an addition device for adding enzymes and/or acid to the starch solution, a centrifugal separating device for separation of a phase substantially comprising proteins and/or fats from the saccharified crude syrup and also a discharging device for separation of the phase substantially comprising proteins and/or fats from the centrifugal separating device separately from the residual glucose syrup. [0020] This type of equipment according to the invention is advantageously developed so as to correspond to the above-mentioned method in such a way that it is provided with a centrifugal separating device for separation of a phase substantially comprising unsaccharified constituents from the saccharified crude syrup and a discharging device for separation of the phase substantially comprising unsaccharified constituents from the centrifugal separating device separately from the phase substantially comprising proteins and/or fats and separately from the residual glucose syrup then substantially comprising glucose. Alternatively or additionally the equipment can also be configured in such a way that both the phase substantially comprising unsaccharified constituents and the residual glucose syrup are removed from the centrifugal separating device in a single volume stream by the discharging device. [0021] By integrating said centrifugal separating processes according to the invention in a single centrifugal separating device, in particular in the form of a decanter, a particularly inexpensive solution that is especially easy to incorporate in terms of process engineering is created. [0022] The equipment according to the invention is also advantageously developed in that the centrifugal separating device, and in particular the decanter, is provided with a paring disc device or impeller for discharging the residual glucose syrup substantially comprising glucose. A device of this type comprising a paring disc is particularly good for removing the residual glucose syrup as it can be very variably adjusted. This is particularly important in this regard as the quality and composition of the crude syrup to be industrially processed can be very different. Despite the various syrup qualities and types, in an advantageous development of the invention a paring disc device is provided, of which the paring disc diameter is purposefully adjustable in such a way that it has a ratio to the internal diameter of the drum of between approximately 0.64 and approximately 0.76, particularly advantageously between approximately 0.70 and approximately 0.72. Despite different throughputs and syrup qualities a high-quality residual glucose syrup that has been removed can be attained with a paring disc diameter of this type. Continue reading... Full patent description for Method and equipment for producing glucose from a starch solution Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and equipment for producing glucose from a starch solution patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. 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